Bang Bang Crash

Writing professor and former alt-rock drummer Brown (Floodmarkers) charts his rise from hopeful high school musician to professional percussionist in this mellow memoir. Detailing his early obsession with drumming and his first record deal at 19, Brown recounts feeling he’d “achieved all he wanted” before turning 21, but he eventually grew disenchanted with the music scene and turned to writing. He chronicles his path in episodic style, and in its most dynamic spots the narrative blossoms into a punchy portrait hinting at a deep-rooted passion for writing, evident in the way he describes the first time he notices hearing loss after a show (“my own nightly proof of self-destruction”) or when he fabricates a backstory for his band, Athenaeum, that gets picked up by the press. As well, his love for the people he encounters is palpable, among them famous actors, musicians he’d idolized in his childhood, and his many tour mates. Unfortunately, these events fail to coalesce, and when he finally lands a spot at the Iowa Writer’s Workshop (after having initially declined Ivy League admission to pursue music), it’s hard not to long for a touch more tension. Budding writers and former musicians who’ve long hung up their instruments are likely to find some resonance, but others will be underwhelmed. Agent: Nat Jacks, InkWell Management. (Feb.)